Easy New Gift Project

Well I have been taking so many photographs that I needed a book for myself to keep a record of the small print outs and to doodle and make notes and perhaps compliment the images with scrapbooking paper, ribbons, and other embellishments, basically to inspire myself and have something to reflect on.

You could just as easily make this book for any other purpose, family photos, a mini scrapbook, a gratitude journal, or a friendship book.

I had a black spiral bound visual arts journal and covered the back inside and outside in one go with the pink floral paper you see above, and then on the front cover used a small segment of the same paper and topped it with the stripes, trimmed with gold metallic ribbon, and a transfer that reads "inspiration and genius, one and the same", and a small bird house tranfser.

The inside front cover is the hot pink with the words you see 'Dream, Seek, Find, Love, Live' and other small embellishments.

So you see making a personal album or journal for your loved ones is not a long job (mine took half an hour) and is very economic as gifts go, especially if you have fabric, paper, and ribbon remnants on hand.

Pay It Forward Craft Style

First of all, I cannot take credit for this idea, it came from Ang at Sunny Day Boredom's Blog and if you hurry you might be one of her first 5 too!

Let us all Pay it Forward

The first FIVE people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It will be done this year. (that's right, before December 31, 2009!)

4- You have no clue what it's going to be.That's what makes it so exciting right?

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and make the same offer to the first 5 people who respond on your blog entry, thereby continuing the fun! (Though you can keep it local if you want, I don't fear international postage!)

So please come and join in the worldwide fun of pay-it-forward. Anyone anywhere is welcome to leave a comment on this post but only the first 5 to do so will get something handmade by me.Let's have some fun!

Girl's Fashion Gifts for Under $10

Kmart clearance, striped and buttoned slippers for under $10, I love slippers!

Market find: mirrored bag with embroidery, $8

This singlet top came free with a magazine, I added the iron on dragonfly.


Tie Dyed singlet, E Shed Markets Fremantle $6

Kmart singlet/sleepwear clearance item, embellished with iron transfer and small gems.

Bleach Stamped Paper

Bleach Stamped Paper.....



I took a frond off the fern in the back yard, dipped it in a shallow tray of bleach and pressed it onto sheets of paper.... fun and the results are quite striking.



A bit of a smelly job though! I had to air the kitchen off afterwards and of course you must wear old clothes in case you get any drips on you....



But an easy task. If you have childeren you might prefer the traditional washable paint option rather than bleach, I can't say I blame you :)

Perfume, Parfum

I've wanted to do a special on perfumes so here it is..... a list of favourites with a description to help you select your perfect perfume.

The Best of Budget Friendly Perfumes

Panache One of my old favourites. No heavy fragrance here, just a simple, clean, fresh scent like you have just stepped out of the shower and your skin is soapy. This scent is great in any season.

Esprit "Life" The groovy, uplifting striped bottles are of youthful and fun appearance and have a fragrance to match. This is my favourite in Spring, and suits sporting, and flirty girls.

Elizabeth Arden "Green Tea" Absolutely my favourite refreshing summer perfume that is not too heavy in the heat. Of course, green tea is very hip right now and this perfume suits both the young, sporty girl and the classic, elegant woman.

"Mystique" I'm unsure as to whether this one is still available but I fell in love with its jagged little blue bottle in the mid 90's. It has a myserious, exotic feel to it and suits the dramatic girl, all year round.

"Red Door" This has never been my taste but it is a perenniel favourite in stores and suits a sophisticated woman, I think this fragrance is best in Autumn.

Revlon "Love Her Madly" This is one of the best affordable fragrances and is so feminine, I love it!

If You're Going To Splash Out...

I love Issy Miyake fragrances.

Vera Wang does classic, feminine beauty and suits most seasons.

CK One universally successful, though it reminds me of spiced vodka.

Davidoff "Cool Water Woman" absoulutely fabulous in summer!

Tommy Hilfiger "True Star" a winner all year round.

Caring For Your Fragrance

Perfumes are almost living things - they need to be looked after because they are not static, they are subject to change due to their chemical composition.

Firstly if you you keep your perfume with the lid off, you risk losing some of its intensity as the fragrance difuses in the room. It also changes scent over time due to exposure to the air.

You should keep the bottles out of direct sunlight. I once lost a perfume because I kept it on the top shelf of my wardrobe, it was far too hot in summer and it was sour smelling when I opened it.

Finally, they don't live forever - really beyond two years you can consider yourself lucky if you don't notice a change in the perfume. Don't buy bottles too far ahead of when you expect to be using them (my bottle that was ruined was my replacement ready for when I ran out.... it was stored too long in the wrong conditions).

Smell Beautiful, Feel Divine!

Nanna's Necklace

After my Nanna died, my mum brought home a few small trinkets for me that have been completely loved and treasured, but left unworn, as I didn't feel that I could live up to Nanna and felt unworthy of wearing them. Over the years things have changed, and I have felt more and more like the person I am supposed to be, and that would make Nanna proud.

So one day I dug out the little pendant on this necklace. It came to me on its own, just a heart shaped filagree pendant with an oval with handpainted rose in the palest and most delicate design. Feeling creative I selected a gold chain from my craft supplies, and then attached the additional coloured beads in two shades of rose, with gold and green seed beads of glass to set the whole thing off.

Having had a rough night, a tough night on my heart and emotions, I have sought comfort in this and other pleasing things and have decided to share my necklace with you. You can easily breathe new life into your own little treasures so they take a form you can carry with you on special days. Sorry my photos aren't up to scratch I have taken so many and they all look terrible, so these are sadly, the best I can do.

And from the Little Words of Sunshine department: "Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restless... sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying 'you are accepted'..." Paul Johannes Tillich.

Tokens Of Appreciation Make the World Go Round

This is my new mission, to spread love and gratitude through all the lands....

It is called, Tokens Of Appreciation Make The World Go Round!

Tokens Of Appreciation Make The World Go Round!

I am making some tokens of appreciation and sending them in sets to my friends, who can then divide them up and send or give them to the people they appreciate, and so my readers here do not miss out I have made the virtual tokens (above) because you make my life so much more enjoyable, and I appreciate you.

I want as many people as possible to express appreciation to someone, and as many people to feel that they are loved, and valued in this world.

If you run out of tokens, or are so inclined, you can make your own, but remember to label them somewhere 'Tokens Of Appreciation Make The World Go Round' so that the mission spreads by word of mouth. Please keep in mind I would like them all to be structurally the same, so make your circles 10cm in diameter. It is also a good idea to make them plain on the back to allow dedications to be written on them. At the very least the person who receives them would like to know who each one came from.

I have made over 150 and decorated them in 2 days, and have sent them out in batches of 10 or 20 to special friends.

I would love for schools, craft groups, or individual crafters to make tokens if they wish, keeping to the original plan.

"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end", Benjamin Disraeli.

Missy Etiquette Q & A

Missy Etiquette answers gift and giving related questions as they are sent in via comment, email, or in person, as is the case with this question by a friend of mine.



How can I decline a gift?



The answer is that it depends on the reason why you wish to decline or refuse a gift.



If you consider the girft to be an inappropriate token, or it is inappropriate for the giver to have gifted you anything at all (perhaps an exlover while you are married etc), then you should rely on simple honesty.



"I'm sorry I can't accept this gift" would be a start. If questioned why, you need to follow up with any of the following as appropriate....



"because it is too extravagant and I am concerned for your finances/well being"



"because the gift is offensive to me" (perhaps something that offends your religion or dignity, is racist or immoral....)



"it is inappropriate for you to give me a gift"



"I am not comfortable receiving it".





That should cover the possible reasons you wish to decline a gift. Don't refuse a gift out of spite or grudge (for instance you don't like your sister in law who is the giver) and only stick to the basic truth.



I hope this helps.



Future Q's for Missy E are welcome.

Photos From Inner Child Day

photo of my toys, and photo of me with my childhood bestie, Hayley at her 21st Birthday.

What a fright! But who says spa days have to be dull and quiet, mine are a scream....

32 years old and no sign of inner child decay, yay, I am alive and well, are you?

Happy Inner Child Day

Disco Butterfly Card, to wish all my readers, family, and friends, a Happy Inner Child Day, I made this card yesterday to share with you.

And for therapy for your inner child you could easily make the same card or similar, here's how I did it.

I used silver metallic cardstock for the card itself, and traced a butterfly shape onto the left half of the card.

Using stainless adhesive glue (if you don't have this, please select a glue that is clear) I applied the head of the butterfly which was a hot pink flower shaped gem stone (purchased in a set of mixed colours at Cost Plus).

The body of the butterfly is pink sequins, and the upper wings are purple sequins, with gold stars for the lower wings.

I drew the antennae with gel ink pen, and glued tiny stars on the tips.

There is a transfer that reads 'celebrate your special day'.

This is so easy your inner child, and your actual children could easily do this, or make other designs, hearts and flowers are particularly easy, as are stars.

This is a very economic card to make, and would suit any occasion.

Tomorrow I will load my photos of my inner child celebrations, don't forget, I'd love to know what you did on the day too.

Join me Friday, Inner Child Day

Hey its not an official holiday yet, but it will be when I'm finished, if it takes me my whole adult life, I will ensure we cherish our inner child. This Friday 20th March is my first Inner Child Day.

and yes, if you are wondering, that is my childhood pixie photo, I was ever a blondie until I grew up.

Why do I think inner children are so important?

Because our inner youth is what keeps us happy, healthy, and young. We must be kind to ourselves, we must speak nicely to our inner self, be less judgemental. more tolerant, and exercise our instincts for fun and joy. We must play, we must work towards fulfilling our dreams, and we must start today!

What can I do for my inner child?

Be nice. Really, truly, kind to your self, don't yell or criticise your inner self.

Play.

Love.

Remember. Loving our memories, and remembering our childhood in positive ways help a lot. If you had an unhappy childhood, go back in your mind and find rays of hope, there must have been a day you played, a place you went, a friend you had... that is a seed of happiness in the past. If not, please, do not hesitate to be your own inner child's best friend and go in peace and kindness.

Recommended Inner Child Day Activities

First of all, do you have a sibling or are you still in touch with childhood friends, why not talk to them, or write a card or letter, even better, if you can reach them prior to this Friday you could encourage them to prepare for the day.

I would recommend preparing in advance an amount of time for you to concentrate on celebrating the day, be it ten minutes, twenty, or an hour, even an afternoon if you are lucky.

I plan to play with the My Little Ponies in my closet, chew bubble gum (I haven't in decades), blow bubbles, skip, sing, dance, hoola hoop, play dress ups, experiment with hair and make up, take photos, look at my childhood photos, and thank my friends for keeping me young at heart.

Try doing something you used to love and haven't done since you 'grew up'.

Try doing something you want to do and have never had the chance to try.

and to get you in the spirit here is one of my favourite quotes: Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age the child is grown and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Edna St Vincent Mallay.

Please, please, try to do something for the day, and please tell your loved ones and friends about this movement, and I would love to hear from you on Friday night to learn how you enjoyed the day,

xxx Starry

The Path To Love

My cousin sent me this email, alas we do not know the original author, but it is so terrific I had to share...

Installing Love on the Human Computer:

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided toinstall Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However,you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell mehow?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have beencompletely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself beforeyou can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files.Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

God/Tech Support: You're welcome, anytime.

- Anon

The Lenny Fire Sale (free $tuff)

Here is the card I need to get rid of, I made it for Lenny, it is perfect for him, a fish and fishing fanatic, I lovingly made it a week before his birthday. First I scoured the internet for a fish related graphic or photo, and came up with this piranha. Then I cut gold metallic ribbon as a mount, topped with the striped cardstock mount, and finished with stickers and a fine print 'happy birthday' banner across the top. Inside the card there is also written transfer greeting and plenty of space for a personal greeting.



I can't bear to give the card to someone I know as I made it especially for Lenny, so here is the thing, if you want this card for someone that you know (I hadn't gotten around to writing in it so it is unused), then leave a comment asking for the card, and I will send it to you free within Australia.



I also have an aqua Julian and Friends brand phone lanyard that was given to me that must go, it is not in it's packaging but is in new condition, rrp $16.95 which I will send for free within Australia.



Its really too bad I can't send you the photos of Lenny too, so that I can't look at them anymore but I can't imagine anyone would have any interest in them, so they will stay for now.



Don't worry about me, this is a good thing, I feel ready to release the card and the lanyard I was given to replace mine that broke, I want them to not go to waste, I want to pass the positive energy on, it gives me more positive energy in return.



Let me know if you have someone special you would like to give the card or lanyard to, you would make my day.

xxx Starry.



"Every challenge we face can be solved by a dream", David Schwartz.

Bargain of the Week

I have just returned from the shops and I am happy to report a bargain was found and the opportunity taken..... these Hello Kitty (knock offs) were amongst other foam cutouts (of roosters, houses, rabbits, children, and mailboxes) on sale for 60 cents each or 3 for $1.50 at King Kong.

They are ideal for attaching to painted furniture or even the walls of your child's room and are excellent decorations how can you go wrong? There are also some excellent wallies (wall paper cutouts and decorating transfers) at Red Dot right now.

I know where I'd be if I was decorating a nursery or play room right now!

Life Saving Gifts

Okay, so you can't make these gifts yourself, and they aren't all cheap as chips, but they are from the heart, because nothing is more personal than a gift that could protect or save the life of someone you care about. Please keep these in mind when you are deciding on a gift, and feel free to share this post with anyone you love or care for.

Fire Blankets these are wonderful, they fold up small and can be stored in your kitchen, near your fire or heater, and in your car. They are suitable to suppress the flames of any type of fire, unlike water and fire extinguishers which suit different kinds of fire. The fire blanket is universal, and if worse comes to worse you can use the blanket to shield you as you evacuate a burning room. You can find fire blankets in hardware stores, or ask your local fire department.

Smoke Detectors of course every home should have them, and in our state it is illegal to rent a home to a tenant without a fire detector, it should also be illegal to sell a home without a fire detector if you ask me. You need to figure out the number of detectors by the size and layout of the home, and they need to have their battery tested, we do ours each month, and every year on April 1st we replace the batteries, this is a special day used to remind citizens to do the same.

Clipsal Safety Switch we had one installed in our power metre box, they are a terrific defense against electricution as they cut the power when there is a surge due to electrical fault or misuse that causes electric shock.

Senior First Aid Course yes, again with the first aid training! I really can't recommend it enough and as well as coming away with vital experience and knowledge, the course fee acts as a charitable donation to our paramedics and ambulance services. First aid training also looks great on a resume.

Complete Car Inspection tyres, brakes, engine, seatbelts, and child safety seats (these are too frequently inadequately secured).... this is a great gift anytime but is outstanding before a road trip, so if you have a family member about to embark on a driving holiday, this would be a fantastic gift.

Doggy Car Harness saves your dog's life in the case of an accident as an unrestrained dog becomes a projectile on impact. You put the harness on your dog and secure him through the seatbelt, this also means he cannot become a danger to the driver as he can't move from his place in the car. I have seen people driving with their dog (large dogs at that) on their lap, how they can see or skilfully manouvre the steering wheel is beyond my comprehension.

Doggy Life Jackets I know a lot of 'boaties' who take their dog out in the boat, but it is only in recent years that they have thought to protect their beloved pet with a life vest especially designed for dogs. These are terrific and give peace of mind, and in the case of a boating accident you will have one less thing to worry about as you trust your dog can stay afloat.

Baby Monitors easily one of the most popular baby shower gifts, they allow parents and carers to monitor the baby from remote locations, giving peace of mind.

New Shower Screens the glass in modern shower screens is safer as it is much harder to break. Sadly a child in my community died from blood loss after falling through his grandmother's shower screen. Until this happened many of us were unaware of the danger in our homes, we are now committed to preventing similar tragedies.

I am sorry if this post has depressed you, but I see the chance to save other lives as uplifting, and I hope you will consider these and other life saving gifts, until next time, love Starry.

Baby Gear In Store Now

Tommee Tippee teether soft toy, $13.62 at Woolworths. I love this toy, it has a good grip on it, and the handle ring actually allows you to slip the ring through babie's seatbelt or pram strap so the toy can be played with but not lost on an outing. The head of the cow is a rattle, the feet (in the shape of love hearts) have crackle fabric, and the hands are designed especially for relief (or at least stimulation) during teething. There are a number of similar toys in different colours and animals, but this daisy cow was my fave and will suit boys or girls.


These padders are just the cutest things, padders are pre-shoes, not quite booties and not yet shoes, they are soft and as the name implies have a padded sole. They say 'cheeky' and then there is a monkey applique, implying your little one is a 'cheeky monkey'. I bought these for $7.32 in Woolworths.






This Elmo jumper (size 00 and up) is one of my favourite baby items right now. Not only is he such a lovable character, the jumper is so bright, very engaging for the baby, the quality of the stitching is very good, and it will really keep bub warm this winter. I bought this one for $14.88 at Big W.






The best time to buy baby toys and clothes are during special department sales in stores, and when promotional baby catalogues for stores such as Big W, Target, and Kmart are circulated. Each change of season there are quite good sales allowing you to buy newborn clothes ahead of the change in temperature and weather.

Patterned cot sheets are my best tip for baby linens, as they tend to disguise stains, as do patterned sleepwear and onesies.

Although printed fabric bibs look gorgeous they are really quite useless as they don't protect clothes underneath from food spills, and don't catch any falling debris. You can't beat the vinyl or plastic bibs with the catch me reservoirs at the bottom.

A small tuppaware container with bicarb soda in it is a handbag or diaper bag must have, you simply sprinkle on your clothes when the baby spits up on you and you won't smell terrible.

Well this brings my baby news and tips to an end for now, I hope you enjoy the little ones in your life,
Love Starry